By appointment to the Great Underground Empire

ZORK, Ltd.

“Atmosphere is free; affordances are not.”

Incorporated Anno 948 GUE · Registered Office: 150 ft. below the Canyon Floor

A Limited Concern of Unlimited Depth

Zork, Ltd. is the holdings division of the Great Underground Empire, administering its lanterns, its treasure, its passages (twisty, various) and its considerable darkness. The company has operated continuously since the reign of Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive, and intends to continue until somebody finds the exit.

Directory of Divisions

Lantern & Illumination Division

Operational

Brass. Battery-powered. Your lantern is on. Your lantern is getting dim. Plan accordingly.

Grue Containment Services

Unverifiable

It is pitch black in this department, and inspection visits are discouraged for reasons the reader may supply.

Bureau of Twisty Passages, All Alike

Operational

Not to be confused with our Bureau of Twisty Passages, All Different, with which it shares an office.

Treasure Appraisal & Trophy Case Storage

Operational

Jeweled eggs, clockwork canaries, and painted trifles received daily. All deposits final; ask the thief.

Maze Cartography Office

Lost

Last correspondence received some decades ago, requesting that we drop more items to mark the rooms.

Machine Intelligence Section

In Formation

A recent undertaking. See the Chairman’s note, below.

Report to Shareholders

Results for the quarter are believed to be excellent; however, the ledger is kept in an unlit room, and the quarterly figures are likely to be eaten by a grue. The Board has voted to declare a dividend of one (1) zorkmid per share, payable in person at the registered office. Bring a light source.

Shareholders are further advised that the Company is teaching a machine intelligence to serve as dungeon master — one that has memorized the module cold, narrates whatever you try, and still cannot be talked into handing you a sword that is not there. The Board considers this a prudent diversification into worlds that answer back.

Enquiries

Correspondence may be addressed to the small mailbox in the open field, west of the white house. Do not enclose valuables. The thief has a key to everything.